rettig



, (No Model.) 4Sheets-Sheet 1."

G. RETTIG.

TYPE RUBBING MACHINE.

No. 370,819. Patented Oct. 4, 1887.,

N5 Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' G. RETTIG.

TYPE RUBBING MACHINE.-

No. 370,819. I Patented Oct. 4, 1887.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. RETTIG.

TYPE RUBBING MACHINE.

N0. 370,819. Patented Oct. 4, 1887';

n4 PETERS, Phow-Liihognpwr. wamn m. u. a

(No Model.) j 4 Sheets.$heet 4.

' G. RETTIG.

TYPE RUBBING MACHINE. No. 370,819, Patented Oct. 4, 1887.

It PETERS, Pnmo-m'vw m her, Wzlhlnglun n. c.

I as

' llNiTED STATES PATENT Orricn.

GEORGE BETTIG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BARNHART BROTHERS & SPINDLER, OF SAME PLACE.

ITYPE-RUBBING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370,819, dated October 4, 1887.

Application filed May 3, 1886. Serial No. 200,992. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE RETTIG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Rubbing Machines, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part'thereof, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section about midway of the breadth of the machine. Fig. 3 is a transverse section at the line a: m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section taken between the broken lines o 1;, Fig. 2, showing a modified form of the resisting device, employing two rollers instead of one. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the entire machine. is a detail section taken at y 3 Fig. 2. Fig. 7 represents two rules or gages for setting the machine to dress type for the letters marked on said gages.

The purpose of this invention is to provide mechanism forautomatically 'rubbing type to remove the burrs or fins which exist on the type when they come from the mold in which they are cast.

One difficulty heretofore experienced in all automatic type-rubbing machines or typedressers has been that the burrs on one side of the type-body tend to force the other side against the cutter or rubbing surface, and hence when the fins are unequal on the opposite sides the tendency is to reduce the body of the type on the side which has the least burr or fin. I seek to overcome this difiiculty by a mechanism which shall imitate, as nearly as possible, the action and character of pressure of the fingers of the human hand as applied to type in the ordinary process of handrubbing; and for this purpose an essential feature of my invention is the employment of a compressible and elastic substance-as rubber-by which to apply the needed pressure to the type while exposed to the action of the cutting or dressing devices. I

Other details are of importance greater or I less, and are shown in the drawings, where- A is a horizontal bed or table. 'A' and A ,are the side bars of the frame of the machine.

Their general direction is inclined at a slope of about forty-five degrees. They have'the horizontal arms or lugs A and A, by which they'may be secured to the horizontal bed A, which assists in securingthemtogether. They are, however, held together chiefly by the shouldered cross-bolts A A at any convenient points, preferably toward the upper and lower ends.

B B and B B are pulleys or rollers journaled in the side bars, A A", (except Btwhieh ,is journaled, preferably, in an adjustable carriageon theside bars, as hereinafterexplained.) The pulleysBand B are the drivingpulleys, and are located near the middle of the length of the frame. The pulleys B and B are respectively near the lower corner of the upper end and near the upper'corner of the lower end. The pulleys B and B have their shafts geared together by the equal gears b and b fixed on said shaft respectively, and on the shaft of one of them, as B, is apulley, I), over which runs a belt, C, by which motion is derived from any convenient source and communicated to the entire machine. At the other end of the same shaft there is preferably secured the balance-wheel 12 Around the pulleys B and B and around the pulleys B and B extend similar endless belts, D D which are made of or covered on their outer surface with india-rubber or other similar compressible and elastic substance. By reasonof the arrangement of the rollers B B B 9 B as described, the belt D lies behind or under an inclined plane extending longitudinally in the general direction of the frame and about bisecting its side bars, and the belt D lies above or in front of such plane. The upper end of the latter belt overlaps the lower end of theformer, the pulley B being above the pulley B.

Between the two side bars, AA, adjustable toward and from the belt D, I locate and se' cure the type-rubbing plate E. To this plate are secured lateral flanges E, which embrace the belt D, forming an overhanging or inverted trough, constituting a chute for the type, in which said belt runs. a The surface of the plate E opposed to the belt D is roughened or serrated, constituting it a file or grindthe belt, have their inner surfaces as smooth as possible, and they may be lined with glass strips e, inserted in dovetail channels e formed for that purpose in said flanges, as seen in Fig. 6.

The flanges ,E may be produced on the other side of the file-plate E, and form the means of securing the entire chute, including the plate E and its flanges, in position between the side bars. It is made adjustable toward and from the belt D by means of the slotted holes 6 6, through which the fastening-screws e e" are passed. At the upper end the plate E is beveled on the under side at 0 forming a flaring mouth for the chute between the plate and the belt.

About midway in the length of the plate E is an aperture, E, across its entire width, and therein is located the revolving cutter F, having its cylindrical cutting-face approximately tangent to the plane of the rubbing or grind ing face of the plate E. For a short distance on both sides of the said aperture E the plate E is cut back enough to allow the thin steel lips G G to be attached to said plate, their surface being flush with the grinding surface of said plate and their free ends pointing toward each other and still further reduced in thickness, even to fine edge, and leaving a narrow rift only between them, which is filled by the revolving cutter, except a bare crevice for the escape of chips and dust.

The cutter F is secured on the axle F which is journaled in the yoke or carriage H. Said carriage is secured to the side bars, A A and is made adjustable, carrying the cutter to and from the belt D. The precise means of adj ustment are not material; but I have employed the structure shown in the drawings, as fol lows: The cross-bar h spans the space between the side bars, A A to which it is secured. Said side bars have the holes h h, through which the shaft of the cutter passes, elongated toward the belt D.

The yoke or carriage H has two side limbs, H H, fitted in the transverse grooves h h on the outer surface of the side bars, A A, and adapted to slide therein toward and from the belt D. Between the cross-neck H of the yoke or carriage H and the cross-bar h is placed the spring H, tending to force the yoke outward away from the belt D. A thumbscrew, H passes freely through a hole in the cross-neck H, and is screwed into athreaded hole in the cross-bar h. The shoulder h of the thumb-screw bears upon the outer surface of the cross-neck H, and thereby the screw may be made to force the carriage inward to carry the cutter F toward the belt, and the spring will carry it away from the belt when the operation of the screw is reversed. I prefer to force it out by the spring rather than to force it positively both ways by the screw, because the spring constantly takes up any lost motion and prevents the cutter vibrating, as it other-- wise might while cutting a distance equal to the lost motion and consequent play of the carriage in the direction of the axis of the screw; but the carriage may be adjusted and set rigidly independently of the spring by means of the nut H on the screw below the cross-neck H. Directly opposite the revolving cutter, bearing on the back surface of the belt, I locate the pressure or resisting roller 1, journaled and adjustable in a manner similar to the cutter Fthat is, having the sliding carriage 1 adjustable by the screw I and spring I. It is preferably, however, different from the cutter in having the axle i taper- -socketed at the ends and journaled on the taper-pointed screws i'", in order to run very lightly. This roller has a rim or outer annulus, i, of rubber or similar compressible and elastic material,and, being set in contact with the back or inner surface of the belt D, exerts pressure directly toward the cutter, being adj usted to vary the pressure as may he found necessary.

The type are designed to be delivercd,preferably,directly from the type easting machine, which in that case should have a breaker to detach and separate the jet into the upper flaring mouth of the chute, and are carried by the belt in contact on one side with the dressing or grinding plate E. The pressure of the belt should be moderatelylight, but its motion quite swift to give the type a quick light touch upon the file-surfaceof the plate E. WVhen the type is carried by the belt past the revolving cutter F, it is held up against said cutter and for an instant exposed to its action, which. is suificient by its speed and depth of cut to engage and cut away any projecting fins which have not been ground away by the first portion of plate E. The succeeding portion of the plate E will complete the smoothing and finishing process upon that side of the type-body.

If the under side of the type has any excessive projections or fins, the compressible character of the belt substance will permit these projections easily to embed Zthemselves in the belt, so that they will not cause any considerable or appreciable increase of pressure against the cutter or plate E at the end or point at which such excessive projection is situated, as would be the case if an unyielding substance were used to form the belt for carrying the type. This is particularly important when the type is being exposed to the action of the revolving cutter F, because of the greater cutting capacity of that device, and I therefore provide the resisting-rollerl with the rubber annulus or tire 13, as described, which acts as so much added thickness of rubber or other cushioning material on the belt and if it is not found necessary to use the cushion on the belt itself for the purpose of its action against the stationary cutting or dressing plate E, so that a thin but flexible uncushioned belt is used, still the rubber annulus on the roller I alone will serve the purpose described at the revolving cutter, where it is most essential.

I do not deem it best in most cases to use a belt made wholly of the cushioning material as rubber-because the stretching of the belt over the rollers which is necessary to give it sufficient grasp upon them, as well as to prevent it from sagging awayfrom the cutting or dressing plate E, diminishes the compressibility or yieldingness of its substance which is necessary to its proper action as a cushion. I prefer, therefore, to make the belt of an inner layer, B, of material which has only slight tensile elasticity, but of fair degree of tensile strengthas thin leather or silk weo-and an outer layer, D, of the nature of a cushion made of such substance as pure rubber gum, having high degree of compressibility and elasticity. This enables me to have a belt which shall run without sagging or flapping, and yet with a light and yielding pressure against the typeto hold them upon the dressing devices. I thus imitate very closely the action of the human fingers in the process of rubbing type by hand.

The cutter F is revolved by a train of gears, K K K K, the first on the shaft b of the roller B, and the last on the shaft F of the cutter F, and the intermediates journaled on stud-axles on the side barof the frame. The train should be made up so as to give the cutter a tangential motion at its exposed arc, in the opposite direction to that of the belt D, at that point; also, the cutter should have a moderately-high speed to cause it to out clean and neither clog nor tear the type. When the type reach the end of the belt D, having for the last short portion of their course passed under the upper belt, D they are delivered onto the lip L, which constitutes an approach to the lower dressing-plate, E, and thereafter are subject to the carrying or feeding action of the belt D alone, and are carried by it against the lower dressing plate, E and over the lower cutter,F and thereby their lower surface is dressed in manner precisely similar to that above described, and they are then discharged into a convenient receptacle, ready to be set up and planed on the edges in any well-known manner. The lower belt, D, the lower dressing-plate, E and the lower cutter, F and the resisting-roller I are respectively similar to the corresponding parts of the upper series, and are similarly supported and adjusted, and the cutter F similarly driven by the train K, K, K, and K.

In order to prevent the type, when about to be carried by the belt D under the belt D, from being caught at end or corner by the latter belt and bent or rolled over, I provide the thin lip L, extending from the lower end of the plate E close to the surface of the second. belt; and it may be made a spring-lip and bear lightly against said surface, thus making the chute for the' type continuous over the junction or transfer-point from one belt to the other.

To accommodate different sizes of type, the distance between the two belts at their overlapping portion must be variable, as well as nesses of the various sizes of type.

the distance between the belts, respectively, and the cutters and dressing-plates, and to this end I mount the roller B in a carriage or yoke, N, which is adjustable in a manner precisely similar to the carriage H. j ustment cannot exceed the distance to which the gears b b may be separated without coming out of mesh; but this is sufficient for as great a range of sizes of type as I find it desirable to rub in any one machine.

In order to set the cutters and pulleys readily to the proper gage of type, I provide the brass rules T T long enough to reach through the whole length of the machine, and of thick- Each rule has stamped on it the letter or letters to whose thickness it conforms; and to set the machine for any letter the proper gage is inserted past both belts and the cutters and rollers are set up to it.

To secure greater evenness of touch of the revolving cutters upon the type moved past them, I provide, to be substituted for the single resisting or pressure roller 1 or I, a pair of rollers, I, as seen in Fig. 4, journaled a short distance apart in a frame, 1?, which has midway between said rollers the shaft which is adapted to be j ournaled on the taperpointed screws 1', the roller 1 or I being removed for that purpose. To theframe P is attached the small hanger 1?, between the rollers, and said hanger is expanded at the end into the plate P, which extends from roller to roller, about tangent with their surfaces, and making a continuous resistingsurface back of or opposite the cutter.

I claim- 1. In combination with the type-dressing devices, the type carrying belt moving the type in contact with the cutting-surfaces of The range of ad-- said devices, said belt made of elasticallycompressible substance, as rubber, of considerable thickness, whereby it serves as a cushion in which projecting irregularities of the type-bodies embed themselves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the type-dressing devices, the flexible belt carrying the type in contact with the cutting-surfaces of said devices and the pressure-roller back of said belt, having a rim in contact with the belt made of elasticallycompressible substance, as rubber, forming a cushion back of the belt, adapted toyield to projections from the type bodies, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the type-dressing devices, the elastically-compressible beltcarrying the type in contact with the cuttingsurface of such devices and the pressure-roller back of said belt andvbearing against the same, having its rim made of compressible andelastic substance, as rubber, substantially asset forth.

a. In combination with the type-dressing devices, the elasticallycompressible belt carrying the type in contact with the cuttingsurface of such devices and the pressure-roller back of such belt, having the rim in contact therewith made of compressible and elastic substance, as rubber, and adjustable at will to and from the belt to vary the pressure thereon, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the fixed type-dressing plates or files and the revolving cutter operating in the interval between them, the thin and non-cutting metal plates, forming lips for the files and narrowing the rift about the revolving cutter, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with the type-feeding bolt, the fixed channel in which it runs, having the face opposite the carrying-face of the beltserrated or roughened to form a typedressing surface, and having the lateral faces glazed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination, substantially asset forth, the frame, the belt-driving rollers revolved in opposite directions, and the ty )e-carrying belts carried thereby, overlapping each other a short distance on opposite sides of the path of the type, the bearings of one of said rollers being adjustable at will toward and from the other roller to vary at will the interval between said belts at their overlapping portion.

8. In combination with the type chute or channel and the type-feeding belt running therein,the revolving cutteroperatingthrough a rift in the chute and the pressure-roller back of the belt, directly opposite the revolving cutter, substantially as set forth.

9, In combination, substantially as set forth, the type feedi ng belt,t-he clastically-compressible pressure-roller, and the revolving cutter directly opposite the roller and adjustable at will toward and from it.

10. In combination, substantially as set forth, the type-feeding belt of elasticallycompressible material, as rubber, the pressureroller back of the belt, and the revolving cutter directl y opposite the pressure-roller.

11. In combination,substantially as set forth, the type-feeding belt of elastically-compressible material, as rubber, the pressure-roller back of the belt, and the revolving cutter adjustable toward and from the belt and roller.

12. In combination, the type-feeding belt, the stationary type-dressing plate opposed to the belt, and the revolving cutter operating through a rift in said plate and adjustable at willtoward and from the belt, substantially as set forth.

13. In combination, the type-feeding bolt, the stationary dressing-plate, and the revolv ing cutter opposed to said belt, said plate and revolving cutter being inde 'mndently adjust able at will toward and from thebelt, substan- 6 tially as set forth.

GEORGE RETTIG.

Vitnesses:

Calls. S. BURTON, W. F. WIEMERs. 

